>> hello and a warm welcome to the "journal" here on dw.

>> here's what's coming up this half-hour -- >> in his state of the union address, u.s. president barack obama proposes fresh negotiations on a transatlantic free trade agreement. >> pope benedict celebrates his last public mass as pontiff inside st. peter's basilica in rome. >> and the movie "night train to lisbon" has its world premiere at the berlin film festival. president barack obama says the american economy has made important progress, but there is still a long way to go. he delivered the annual state of the union address in washington last night and urged americans to help jump-start the country's sluggish -- sluggish economy. >> pushing hard for a special economy would significant job growth. that looks like the message

obama plans to hammer home time and time again during his time in office. >> presidents also touched on foreign policy, praising u.s. soldiers stationed in afghanistan and promising them a speedy return home. >> the president of the united states. [applause] >> it is a washington ritual, long applause, handshakes, and hugs on both sides of the aisle. in his speech, obama focused clearly on domestic issues, among them, raising the minimum wage, reforming immigration, and modernizing the education system. he also address america's political third rail -- gun control. the president promised survivors of gun control violence he would pursue common-sense reform. in a short foreign policy segment of his speech, obama said that efforts were on the course to conclude afghan operations next year. turning to europe, he raised the

prospect of a free-trade zone to encourage commerce with european union countries and believe fears his new asian focus would come at europe's expense -- the late -- belay fears. >> trade that is fair and free across the atlantic supports millions of good-paying american jobs. >> but in a bitterly divided washington, president obama will have his work cut out for him if he wants to push his agenda through. >> well, that trans-atlantic free-trade zone has long been a goal for the european union. after years of very little progress, the e appears to -- the eu appears to have an ally in what has. >> president obama announced the start of trade negotiations on a trade deal. brussels said talks could begin before summer. if successful, those negotiations would result in the biggest financial trade deal ever. >> the eu and u.s. already trade

some 2 billion euros worth of goods and services every day. about 1/3 of total global commerce. president obama wants to bring that commerce into what would be the world's biggest free trade zone. the european commission says that would have world wide applications. >> which translates into tens of billions of euros every year and tens of thousands of new jobs. this offers us a great perspective at a time when we are gradually making our way to recovery. most important of all, it is a boost to our economies that does not cost 1 cent of taxpayer money. >> both sides stand to benefit. economists to warn that negotiations will be tough. the eu and washington disagree on issues ranging from industrial trade barriers and agricultural standards to data and privacy protection. >> the undertaking will not be easy. ideally, we would like to complete this work in about two years.

if possible, before the end of the mandate for this commission, but more paramount than speed is achieving an ambitious deal. >> most european leaders say they are encouraged by obama's words. negotiations could start by summer with the goal of reaching agreement in 2015. >> let's find out more. we are joined now by our chief political correspondent. a big announcement there by obama. a new trans-atlantic trade agreement. what will it mean for europe, do you think? >> as we heard in your report, it would probably be a significant boost to growth and jobs. people are saying up to 1.5 additional percentage points a year in a growth on both sides of the atlantic, so that this is significant boost. in fact, it would not cost anything except what it cost for all the negotiating teams to sit around the table. they might wind up doing that for quite some time.

the fact is this issue has been discussed for some years now. this today was the highest level endorsement we have heard coming from president barack obama, but the fact is the devil is in the details. it has been discussed and often has got hung up on details like farm agreements, for example. the massive foreign lobbying on both sides of the atlantic would surely make things difficult. we know, for example, that the u.s. foreign lobby would like to sell its products in european markets with no limits whatsoever, which means genetically modified crops -- that could be a hard sell in europe. another point -- european companies, which would like to have access to government contracts in the u.s. a lot of details to hammer out and could prove some hard negotiations. >> just briefly, beyond economic relations, what can europe expect from obama's second term? >> i think it can expect higher

expectations. we heard president obama say he is bringing troops home from afghanistan among other reasons because he needs to cut military costs. one thing we can be sure of in the years to come as the u.s. does look at that military budget and is under pressure to cut costs, it will certainly be asking europeans to step up and take on more of their share of the security burden. >> thanks very much for this. >> we move to asia and now where north korea says it will consider carrying out for the weapons tests in the future. it all depends, they say, on weather the united states softens its stance toward p'yongyang. >> the united nations security council strongly condemned tuesday's test. the security council has pledged a tough response to p'yongyang's violations of united nations resolutions. it is not just north korea's test that has the united nations word. iran says it is installing new

uranium-enriched machines that could lead to advances for tehran's nuclear capacities. >> that report from the country's official news agency came as talks got under way between the international atomic energy agency and officials in tehran on wednesday. >> a discussion point was a facility where officials believe iran is developing nuclear warheads. tehran insists it has a right to pursue a peaceful nuclear program. m a the nuclear plant is the most visible component of aaron's nuclear program -- >> the nuclear plant is the most visible component of iran was a nuclear program. while president ahmadinejad says his country has the right to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes, western powers suspect he is developing a nuclear bomb, but regardless of iran's intentions, tehran already has plenty of nuclear materials and technology in place. uranium ore mines.

this facility reprocesses uranium. iran is planning to install even more powerful centrifuges allowing it to enrich uranium to up to 20%. the fuel could be used for fuel rods, but it could also be a step towards producing a nuclear weapon. the israeli prime minister is alarmed. while u.s. president barack obama continues to push for sanctions and talks, netanyahu has threatened a direct military strike against iran's nuclear facilities. >> the most recent step and the announcement that the centrifuges are being modernized is a further escalation for israel. to a certain extent, it confirms the view of those who see iran as the most dangerous actor in the region. >> iran's spiritual leader recently reiterated his opposition to direct talks with the u.s.

tehran has said it is open to talks with the international community under certain conditions, but it barred nuclear inspectors from accessing its facilities. the international atomic energy agency also still hopes diplomacy will work with the next attempt taking negotiators to kazakhstan later this month. the people of iran are feeling the punishing effects of international sanctions. tehran's oil exports have fallen by half in the last nine months. the value of its currency has plummeted. while gas and food prices have soared. >> the aim was to stifle iran's economy, and the hope was the iranian people would rise up against the regime. it was an idea that was bound to fail. >> iran's leaders have refused to budge. president ahmadinejad says he will only agree to full negotiations once the west drops

its sanctions. m in rome, pope benedict xvi has celebrated his last public mass as pontiff. he was greeted at the ash wednesday service by ecstatic applause and a standing ovation with people packing a vatican auditorium to catch a glimpse of him. >> benedict told the crowd he was stepping down for the good of the church and ask worshipers to keep praying for him. he had stunned the church on monday when he announced he would become the first pope to abdicate in centuries. >> vatican officials have announced that the conclave to choose a new pope will start at the 15th of march. >> this ash wednesday service marking the start of lent is the last public mass said by pope benedict xvi. he was joined for the emotional ceremony in st. peter's by the cardinals and bishops closest to him. benedict spent the morning in an audience with thousands of followers and for the first time provided details about the thinking that went into his

resignation. >> i made this decision in complete freedom for the good of the church. i prayed for a long time and examined my conscience before god because i am aware of the seriousness of this action. but at the same time, i know the i am no longer able to meet the demands made of the seat of st. peter. >> many wonder how history will interpret benedict's papacy and what will happen to him when he steps down. a question also on the minds of followers gathered today in rome. the pope had only a simple request -- >> thank you for the love and prayers that have accompanied me over the last difficult days. continue to pray for me, the church, and the future pope.

>> benedict will relinquish his papacy on february 28. then, the college of cardinals will choose the next successor. am i a moment, we will have some football news. boardman are in action in the champions league frowned. >> first, a look at some other news from around the world. >> authorities in afghanistan say at least 10 civilians have been killed in a nato airstrike. victims reportedly included several children. the attack happened near the border with pakistan. officials say taliban fighters were also killed in the air strike. >> officials in california say they believe a former police officer who was the subject of a week-long manhunt is dead. a charred body has been found in a remote cabin where christopher dorner had barricaded himself. dorner is suspected of killing three people last week before going on the run.

>> heavy snowfall in ukraine has collapsed building belonging to the chernobyl nuclear power plant. no radiation was released. the building was located around 70 meters from the damaged reactor where workers are building a new containment shell. chernobyl was the site of the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986. >> and now to sports news, football. the champions league round of 16 is under way. >> today, manchester united plays madrid, and the reigning champions, dortmund travel. their focus will be firmly set on a place with the champions league quarter finals. >> dortmund go into the game off the back of a disappointing loss to hamburg in the bundesliga. ukrainian leader is still on winter break -- the ukrainian leader is still on winter break. >> we played recently in spain

and united arab emirates. the team is ready, but we will have to see if we are prepared enough to beat dortmund. >> dortmund are undefeated in this season's champions lee, but the coach is not underestimating the team at the top of the ukrainian leader. >> from a football point of view, they are an extraordinarily good team with a clear plan. they switch quickly, play in modern game, have discipline. there is nothing bad you can say about them. >> if they can get past them, it will be their most successful european campaign in 15 years. >> we will be back after a short break and we look at how people commemorate the anniversary of the heavy had taken from world war ii bombs. family will also have a look at the berlin film festival. stay with us.

>> welcome back. it was on this day exactly 68 years ago that allied forces launched a massive bombing raid

on dresden. in the final months of world war ii. and the rate on the set fire storm swept across the german city and killed thousands. >> commemorative events were held for the victims today while elsewhere in the city, police were deployed to prevent clashes between yanase groups and anti- fascist activists. and at a memorial ceremony for dress dinners -- >> a memorial ceremony for dresdeners and many more. at the ceremony, we are thinking of those who needlessly perished in the second world war, a war that was started by germany. >> on february 13, 1945, britain's royal air force targeted dresden. with help from american bombers, the devastated the city, killing 25,000 people in just hours. much of the downtown area was destroyed along with industrial and military infrastructure. bombs were dropped indiscriminately and nearly everywhere to inflict maximum

damage. copper bombing, a horrendous tactic now prohibited by the geneva convention. at a demonstration in the city center, thousands warned against forgetting about germany's nazi past which provoked the horrors of dresden, so the locals by locking arms to keep neo-nazis out of the memorial services. the city is morning in a loss of innocent german citizens, not the downfall of the third reich. >> ash wednesday is also a holiday for political junkies year, politicians use the occasion to fire up their base. in bavaria, the csu leader try to galvanize support ahead of this year's elections, criticizing peer steinbrueck 4 racking up billions in debt during his time as finance minister. steinbrueck head back, saying

the current government was as unpopular as appen -- >> appendicitis. >> and root canals combined. >> the company took a particular the strong hit in southern europe where the economic crisis has seen a car sales plummet. peugeot has also been hit by rising costs of raw materials like steel. >> cars are still rolling off the assembly lines, but stiff competition from foreign manufacturers has made it harder to find buyers for french cars. by contrast, south korea was a brand is riding high. french producers have failed to invest in expanding markets and developing countries such as india or china, and experts say that is hurting the bottom line.

peugeot will have to restructure to get back in the black. it has already announced plans to cut 8000 jobs this year and an additional 3000 could follow next year. >> 2012 was a difficult year, but a year where we have led the foundations for our industrial and commercial economy. we have to make very difficult decisions for the restructuring plan, and the restructuring plan is on track. >> that pathe will cost jobs in france. peugeot's decision to close factories in paris has sparked protests in recent months with more likely to follow. >> how did the markets respond to peugeot's restructuring plans? we received a summary from the frankfurt trading floor. >> sometimes it is not easy to guess the share price after reading the balance sheet.

shares of peugeot rallied up to more than 6% here on the frankfurt floor. investors appreciated the restructuring plans. the market in general did benefit from glimmers of hope according to the economy in the euro area. industrial production rose sharper than people expected, so some investors were saying that the worst may lie behind the european economy, and this led to the fact that some investors started buying shares again. >> the markets by the numbers now -- the dax was up to 7711. euro sotxx t 50 --oxx -- stoxx 50 up a little bit less. the euro down trading at $ 1.3441. the european horse meat scandal has reached germany where authorities said they are

looking into products labeled as beef that may contain horse. >> this is from eu countries hardest hit by the scandal. the irish agricultural minister said that investigations should be coordinated by european authorities. others insisted that so far, there is no threat to human health. authorities are investigating the case, which involves slaughterhouses and milman in romania, france, and britain, among others. >> the search for mislabeled meet continues. in west yorkshire, a british food inspectors raided a slaughterhouse suspected of selling horse meat labeled as beef. officials temporarily shut down the plant and seized all the meat they found. the scandal has outraged consumers in britain where horse meat is mostly taboo. >> it is absolutely shocking that we mostly have found this practice going on within the u.k. this is the first incident. >> much of the horse meat sold as before originated from armenia, but slaughterhouses

there say they are not to blame. they claim all the meat exported from the country was correctly labeled. >> we have delivered horse meat as well as beef to many european customers. we guarantee that we fulfilled all eu standards. >> food products containing meat of questionable origin have been recalled across europe while the investigation presses on. the eu is said to be considering new regulations to require processed foods containing meat to include information about its country of origin. >> the novel "night train to lisbon" was an international best seller. now the movie version is seeing its world premiere at the berlin film festival. >> it is the story of an aging school teacher in switzerland who quits his job to go to lisbon to track down a portuguese writer who have fought the country's mid-20th century dictatorship. >> and on tuesday night, a

highly anticipated iranian film called "closed curtain" made its debut. the director did not attend because he is under house arrest in iran, but his movie received a warm welcome in the capital. >> some of hollywood's heavy hitters were also out on the red carpet. let's take a look. >> jude law may have been the star of the red carpet, but the berlinale was buzzing about director steven soldered, who shocked the festival by saying this was his last film. he took an unorthodox approach in making it. >> it takes in this labor to eradicate all traces of labor, and that was my approach. >> he comes in and says it is over. finally got a handle on his issues. >> "side effects" is a psychological thriller. a psychiatrist prescribes a

depressed wife an experimental drug, which launches her on a nightmarish adventure in which her husband and up dead. another director much discussed in recent days is an iranian, who is co-director attended the berlinale. the directors defied a ban to make their movie. isolation is a central theme of the movie. "closed curtain" tells the story of a man who barricaded himself and his dog in the house by the sea. dogs are forbidden. they are considered impure. it is a movie about being claustrophobic and also a portrait of the director himself and his life as a filmmaker banned from making movies. >> some see it as a front runner for this year's golden bear. let's ask our film crew -- guru what he thinks. what is your verdict?

>> it was the front runner before anyone even saw it just because of the story behind the making of it, the fact that the director had to work in secret under house arrest, under great danger to make the film and have it smuggled out of the country. after seeing the movie, even though it is a bit complex and intellectual -- maybe not something for everyone -- i still think it is definitely the film to watch. it is a very powerful and emotional film in the end and has a really powerful central metaphor. it takes place in a villa on the seaside, and instead of having sunshine blazing through the windows, all the windows are veiled, closing off -- everything is closed off from the outside. this is the director's metaphor for living under a dictatorship and metaphor for an artist silenced. >> yes, you hae been talking up this movie the whole time you have been at this festival. and, what has been another favorite of yours that you have seen? >> well, this year has been --

it has been a bit of a weak year in general, but there have been a lot of strong female performances. we have seen juliet the notion -- binoche give a strong performance. my favorite was called "gloria," about a 50-something divorcee looking for love. it seems like a quite simple story, but it is powerful and emotional. if i had to choose one film out of all i've seen so far, that would be it. >> we are over the halfway point. what are you still looking forward to seeing? >> there's a film tomorrow that is quite interesting, "dark blood," the last film made with river phoenix, an actor who died 20 years ago. the film was made 20 years ago but only got finished just last year after the director smuggled

the footage out and finished it in secret in the netherlands. it will be fascinating to see a final film 20 years after such a legendary actor has died. >> thanks very much. stay warm. >> to stay with us on dw. we'll be back with more at the top of the hour. >> thanks for watching. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--